Fifty-two percent of hospitals plan to acquire physician practices in 2013 compared to 44 percent that made such purchases last year—according to a new survey by the nation's third-largest health care staffing company, Jackson Healthcare.

The study also found that hospitals acquired specific practices over others, with family practice, general internal medicine, OB/GYN and other primary care leading the list.

"This is the first year we have surveyed hospitals' medical practice acquisition behavior and preferences," said Richard L. Jackson, chairman and CEO of Jackson Healthcare. "In the coming years, we will be able to watch how acquisitions evolve in the era of healthcare reform."

Of 118 hospital administrators that completed the nationwide survey, 39 percent represented hospitals of more than 150 beds. Another 52 percent were from hospitals of 26 to 150 beds. The survey has an error rate of +/– 5.0 percent.

For more information on the hospital acquisition survey click here.